Steering for track chain and other vehicles having more than two axles



Aug.2.'?, 1944. B. METTE 2,356,528

IsTEERING FOR TRACK CHAIN AND OTHER VEHICLES HAVING MORE THAN Two AXLES Filed Oct. 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

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lac-55:01

Inventor: 54, M

Aug. 22, 1944. r B. METTE ,5

' STEERING FOR TRACK vCHAIN AND OTHER VEHICLES I HAVING MORE THAN TWO'AXLES i [iii-32:01

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Patented Aug. 22, 1944 STEERING FOR TRACK CHAIN AND-OTHER VEHICLES HAVING MORE AXLES THAN TWO Bodo Mette, Berlin Halensee, Germany; vested in theAlien Property Custodian Applieationdctober .24, 1940, Serial No. 362,505

In Germany SeptemberlZ, 1938 9 Claims.

This invention relates to motor vehicles with more than two axles, especially track chainvehicles with carrier wheels or sets of carrier Wheels arranged on carrier axles which are capable of lateral displacement, thewheels being supported by the track chain and adapted to be rocked ace 7 cording to the displacement of theaxles; when the vehicle is steered. The invention concerns more particularly an arrangement for carrying out the individual movements, whereby trains canv be made of several track chain vehicles which are coupled the one to the other and the vehimanner that theyv cles can be steered in such a follow the track. I

As' compared with the known arrangements the steering gear, of the present invention has the substantial advantage that its construction is comparatively simple and:accessible andbreakdowns, which might otherwise be caused,v for instance, by distortion of the chassis, are avoided. Moreover the parts used fordisplacement are light; they are well protected and do not 'under-; go appreciable wear and-the force required for displacing the gear members vis not considerable, as thesurfaces which are subjected to friction or sliding movements are ,reducedto a minimum.

Several embodiments of a steering gea1'for a trackv chain vehicle withthree and five displaceable axles are shown diagrammatically by way I ofv example in the accompanying,drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is :a plan view ofth e steeringgear of a track chain vehicle with five displaceable axles, Fig. 2 shows in part plan view the middle axle which is capable of being shortened, m

i '3 is a plan of a modificationv of the'con struction shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section along Iv Iv of' a lo'y a pin f and hasa tongue/2' whichhas a slot and pin connection '1 and 's 'with the middle" axlee. I a The two levers d are pivoted to the' 'cha'ssis'a at itsends, respectively, by pins -d-"." -The'ends' d" of the levers d,-adiacent the middle axle e have slot and pin connections tand 'u with-ears e on each side of the-middleaxle e, respectively;- Each lever-d-hasslotand pin connections,

a e, in the following manner:

ii and k with ears cl and c2 on the axles candc';

g The above described structure functions to ef-, feet the endwise movement of the axles c, c and -When the lever l is rocked by its towingrods m from the steering gear (not shown), it shifts, the axle e through the slot and pin-connections r and s therewith. The shifting .of the axle-1e zmoves the levers 01 through its ears e1and slot;

and pin connections 12 and u on the ends ofrthe levers d. The movement of the levers d shifts; the axles c and 0'' through the slot and pin connection i and on ears c-I. and c2 of the ,axlesc and c and the levers d. 1 The sets of wheels on-the ends of, the middle axle e are not rocked. The mechanism whereby the sets of wheels on the ends of the axles c and c arerockedwill now be explained. These sets of wheels are mounted on vertical rotatable shafts- U which are journaled in the ends'of theaxles i 0 aud o. The shafts v on axles 0 have bell crank arms h with pivoted links-g connected with the levers d. When the levers d areimoved, the shafts 'u are rocked through the links g and crank arms h thus rocking the sets of wheelsonaxles. c. The shafts v on axles 0 have crank arms h with pivoted links g connected with the chassis a. When the axles c are shifted the shafts v beingrnoved relative to the chassis a arerocked through crank arms 71. and links g thussrpck ing the sets of wheels on axles c. V s Fig. 2 illustrates a modified'formof means for connecting the operating lever Z and levers d with the middle axle when it comprisestwo, porv tions. This form consists of the following ele-" m'ents: J l Y The middle axlecomprises the two aligned por-;. tions e-l and e2 endwise slidableinlthe chassis a. The lever Z pivotedto chassis a has atongue Z" with lateral ears 0 having slot and pin connections n and p with the innerends of the ax e; portions el and e 2 respectively. The 7. ends 11 of levers 11 adjacent the axle portions el, and e-2"are connected to thelends of aplateq by slot and pin connections tand u. The plate. 11 is also connected atits middle with the tongue l" of lever Z by a slot and pinconnecti on; jr and-s2 I The above described structure, illustrated Fig. 2, functions to effect the endwise movement of the middleaxle e andthrough-rnovementcf levers dgthe endwise movement of axles cand c r in he fol owins'manne v V when tnelleverl;iscrqqkedlas.ahoveiex lai ied.

the portions e-l and e2 are shifted through the operation of the ears on the tongue I" of lever Z and the slot and pin connection n and p with the portions el and e2, and also the plate q is shifted by the slot and pin connection 1" and s between the tongue I" of lever l and the plate q. This shifting of plate q moves the levers d through the slot and pin connection t and u between the ends 41 of the levers d and the ends of the plate q thereby shifting the axles c and 0' through their connection with levers d as shownin Fig. l.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another modified form of means for connecting an operating lever O and the levers Da and Db with the axles C--a, Cb, 0-0. This form consists of thefollowing elements:

These axles C-a, Cb and. Cc (forward,

middle and rear) are endwise slidable in the chas sis A and carry on their ends sets of wheels B. The operating lever O is pivoted on the pin P on the forward end of the chassis A. The le-' ver G is pivoted on a cross beam F of the chassis A by pivot pin I-Land has a slot and pin connection N and M with the lever O and a slot and pin connection K and J-L with the forward axle 0-41. The lever Da, at the forward end ofthe chassis A is pivoted on pin P| to chassis A at the forward ends of chassis A and the lever Da, and has slot and pin connection t" and u" with the forward and middle axles C--a and C-b (see'Fig. 4). The lever Db, at the rear end of chassis A is pivoted to'the chassis A on the pin P2, at the rear end of chassis A and the lever Db and has slot and pin connection t and u' with the middle and rear axles C-b and C-c.

The above described structure, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, functions to effect the endwise movement of the forward axle C-a and through movement of levers Da and Db and endwise movement of the middle and rear axles C-.-b'

and C-(: in the following manner: i

When the operating lever O is rocked, as above. explained, itmoves the lever G, through the slot and pin connection N and M. Thismovement of lever G shifts the forward ax1eCa through the slot and pin connection K and J-L. The

shifting of the forward axle C--a moves the forward lever Da through the slot and pin con nection t" and u" between the forward axle 0-11 and the forward lever Da- (see Fig. 4).

The movement of the forward lever D ashifts the middle axle C-b-throughthe slot and pin connection t" and u between the forward lever Da and the middle axle Cb. The shifting'of the middle axle Cb moves the rear lever Db through the slotand pin connection 15 and tr between the middle axle Cband the-rear le-' ver Db. The movement of the rear lever Db shifts the rear axle Cc through the slotan'd pin connection t and 11/ between the rear lever Db and the rear axle C-c. The sets of wheels B on the ends of themiddle axle Cb are not rocked. The mechanism for rocking the '65 sets of wheelsB on the forward and rear "axles C-a and C-c, illustrated in Fig. 3, is identical and adapted to slide all but one of said axles, and to be oscillated by the sliding of the said remaining axle; and an oscillatable member pivoted on said vehicle and adapted to slide the said remaining axle which is operatively connected with said pair and. adapted to actuate said pair of members and cause them to slide the other axles.

2. In a steering device for a vehicle having more than two endwise slidable axles; oscillatable means pivoted on said vehicle and operative ly connected with and adapted to slide one of said axles; means adapted to actuate said means; and oscillatable means pivoted on said vehicle and adapted to be oscillated by said first mentioned oscillatable means and operatively connected' with and adapted to slide the remaining axles.

3. In a steering device for a vehicle having more than two endwise slidable axles, oscillatable meanspivoted on said vehicle and operatively connected with and adapted to slide one of said axles; means adapted to actuate said means; and oscillatable means pivoted on said vehicle and operatively connected with all the axles and adapted to be oscillated by the sliding "of said one axle to slide the remaining axles.

4. In a steering device for a vehicle having three or more endwise slidable axles, the combination of a pair of oscillatable members pivoted at the front and rear ends of the vehicle respectively, and having. longitudinal axes normally lying in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said members having slot and pin connections with the axle located at the middle of the vehicle; means adapted to slide one of said axles, the sliding of said axle actuating the said oscillatable membersto cause them to slide the other axles.

5. In a steering device for a vehicle having more than two endwise slidable axles, the combination of an operating lever pivoted to the vehicle and having a slot 'and pin connection with one of the vehicle axlesi'a pair of levers pivoted to said vehicle, and having slot and pin connections with the saidaxle, one of said last mentioned levers having a slot and pin connection with each of the axles forward of said axle and the other of said levers having slot and pin connection with the axles behind said axle.

6. In a steering device for a vehicle having more than two endwise slidable axles, one of said axles consisting of two aligned portions, the combination of an operating lever having a'slot and pin connection with each of said portions, a pair of levers pivoted on said vehicle; a connecting medium on which each of' said last mentioned levers is pivoted and having a slot and pin connection with said operating lever, one of said, last mentioned levers having slot and pin con-' nection with the axles forward of said axle, and

the other of said last mentioned levers having slot and pin connection with the axles behind ver and the front axle of the vehicle; and a pair of levers pivoted to said vehicle,one of said last mentioned levers having slot and pin connection with the said front axle and an axle behind said front axle, and the; other of said last men atione'dlevers having slotand pin connection with.

said last mentioned axle and such other axles as may be behind-said last mentioned axle.

8. In a steering device according to claim 7, in which all the axles, except the axle with which both of said levers are connected, are provided with rockable sets of wheels, journaled in the ends of the axles, a crank on the journal of each all the axles except the said middle axle are provided with rockable sets of wheels, journaled in the ends of the axles; a bell crank on the journal of each set on the ends of the axles adjacent the middle axle, a link pivotally connecting said crank with one of said pivoted levers, a crank on the journal of each set on the ends of the axles forward and behind the last mentioned axles, and a link pivotally connecting said last mentioned crank with said vehicle, so that the journaled sets are rocked correspondingly with the sliding of the axles by the pivoted levers. I

BODO METTE. 

